Lawmakers commemorated the third anniversary of the “Patria y Vida” protests in Cuba this week. Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R), who supported the protests, unveiled a new application meant to help protestors during future protests. Delta Chat is a new phone application that will make sure the Cuban people retain Internet connection regardless of the Cuban regime’s attempt to shut off broad access like the July 11 protests in 2021.
In a statement, Rep. Salazar shared that “three years ago today, brave Cubans took to the streets protesting for freedom and an end to the regime’s oppression.” “The communist Cuban regime beat them and brutalized them, and when the protestors tried to communicate their cries for liberty, they shut down their Internet access through ETECSA,” she added.
Announcing the new Delta Chat phone app, Rep. Salazar encouraged Cubans to download the application, warning that “the next time you take to the streets to shout for liberty and to cry for ‘Patria y Vida’, ETECSA will shut your Internet down again. But this time, they will fail.”
The application is expected to provide protestors with critical technology that will help them organize more efficiently, and actively document what is occurring, and it will assist in creating transparency regarding the Castro regime.
The Cuban government responds to events like protests by shutting down access to the Internet for the public. However, their servers continue operating, so government officials can communicate amongst themselves.
The Delta Chat application would allow Cubans to continue accessing the Internet through the Cuban regime’s network, bypassing any censorship.
The protests three years ago sparked massive support from Florida Republicans who condemned the Cuban regime’s years of oppression. Since then, these same lawmakers have called on political prisoners to be released from prison for having taken part in the protests.
